


Yellow

by curiumKingyo



Series: Color Book [2]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Athene Noctua AU, M/M, Monochromy, wing!Hermann
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-21
Updated: 2014-02-21
Packaged: 2018-01-13 03:23:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1210789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curiumKingyo/pseuds/curiumKingyo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermann asks Newt's help with a puzzle and, as he solves it, Newton unravels another riddle.</p><p>Set in the <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/1118037/chapters/2252127">Athene Noctua</a> verse</p>
            </blockquote>





	Yellow

**Author's Note:**

> OMG check out this [gorgeous art](http://kelly-draws.tumblr.com/post/80477699269/and-this-this-is-yellow-commission-for) the ever loving [pickleplum](http://archiveofourown.org/users/pickleplum/pseuds/pickleplum%22) comissioned from the absolutely amazing and talented [kelly-draws](http://kelly-draws.tumblr.com/)!!!
> 
> Thank you very very much, plum!

Newton is secretly admiring the stray feather managed to hide from Hermann when the other man called him from across the room. He quickly stuffs the feather back between the pages of his notepad and looks up at Hermann, who is sitting in the bed with a tablet in his hands.

"What is it, Hermann?" He asks, subtly putting the notepad away. Hermann shows him the tablet and motions for the screen as the source of his problem. Newt can't see it from afar so he stands and moves closer as Hermann explains the situation:

"This morning I saw Miss Mori playing this puzzle game while eating breakfast. She asked my help with a math puzzle and it seemed interesting enough so I downloaded it too." Newton sits in the edge of the mattress and looks at the tablet Hermann is holding. "I've been playing it for a while and did most of the puzzles, but I need your help with this one. It is a simple riddle but..." He hesitates and as Newt reads the riddle he easily finds out what is the problem. It is a color-related question.

Newton shifts the tablet so he can take a better look at it. In the screen, many colored blocks are lined up in a square grid. As he reads the riddle his hand gently brushes Hermann's.

"Is this blue?" Hermann asks and Newt looks at him surprised. It actually is. He is about to ask how the man knew it when he feels Hermann's fingers wiggling under his own, a timid smile in his face. He strokes the mathematician's hand a little longer before forcing himself to look back at the screen.

"Yes, it is. And those are white, and this and that ones are black." He points at the blocks as he says their colors.

"And the last ones?" Hermann asks, eyes fixed on the screen, mentally labeling the blocks.

"Yellow." Newt is considering how he could explain 'yellow' to Hermann, but soon realises the other man is already immersed in solving the puzzle. He moves the blocks quickly, occasionally stopping to think or remember which color a determined block is.

Newton watches him in the few moments he needs to solve the puzzle. When he finishes it the tablet emits a cheery tune and the message 'You Did It' flashes in the screen. This time Hermann smiles fully. It lasts only a moment before subsiding to a small up turn to the corners of his thin lips. His eyes, however, remain alight with self-accomplishment. Newton kinda wants to laugh: Doctor Hermann Gottlieb, the man behind the Mark-I coding, the first one to accurately describe the Breach and one of the main responsibles for its closure, is happy because he just solved a puzzle.

But Newton could never laugh at it. Not now that he knows what is it like to have colors washed away from his sight. Not now that he knows how much of what he takes for granted is actually petty and fragile. Not now that Hermann's face is still lit by a small smile as he reads the next puzzle. Looking at him Newt realises. This genuine yet discreet happiness, this sense of accomplishment even in the smallest tasks, this overcoming of small but persistent obstacles... He smiles at Hermann, calling the man's attention.

" _This_ is yellow..." He smiles at Hermann, a small smile but makes sure to crinkle the corners of his eyes. With his pinky extended, he touches the yellow crests tattooed across this colarbones and draws an upwards curve; a tiny simle. Hermann mimics his small smile and much to Newt's surprise, he rests his long finger against the biologist's tattooed chest and draws a perfect curve.

**Author's Note:**

> I was about to post it when I accidentaly closed the tab and lost 90% of this work.  
> Filled with rage I re-wrote it in 20 minutes much to my own satisfaction. Some parts turned out better than the original text, others I couldn't quite recreate with such grace as the first time...


End file.
